Vengeance
by Trebles.and.Tones
Summary: Rosalie knew something about her had changed. But when she woke, she wanted not blood, but vengeance. She wants to rip apart those who destroyed her — those who stole what was most dear to her. Only then will she allow herself to be a part of a family she never knew she needed.


The burning hadn't bothered her during her transformation. She had welcomed the arms of death with blissful awareness. She had welcomed the pain. It kept her focused.

Even without truly knowing what was going on with her body, Rosalie Lillian Hale had known she would wake up. That, despite the burning inferno of frigid ice flowing through her veins, she would be okay physically.

Her mind, however, had grown dark. She knew, without a doubt, she would wake up and she would kill. She didn't know what she was anymore, but she now had a vendetta. One she would end on her own terms. It, alone, was the very reason she would wake up.

Her vendetta had names: Royce King II. Willis Rogers. Louis Manchester III. Clarence Warren. Howard Anderson.

Those five names were what she focused on during her transformation. Those five names and what she would do to them. Had they not taken the most precious things she possessed from her? Did they not deserve to meet a similar fate?

While she could not physically move at the moment, she knew she was close to being able to do so. The burning was in her heart now and she could feel the beats becoming slower and her heart growing colder.

She felt a thirst she did not understand. She had no clue what the thirst was after, only that it needed to be quenched and soon.

That moment, however, was when she felt a sudden change. How long she had been like this, she did not know, but she was suddenly able to move. She could hear the voices around her with much more clarity than she had over the past several days. Though they had been around her often, they had been muddled in her mind. Her mind was now much sharper than it had been previously, however.

"She's going to wake," one voice, a man, said.

"Yes, she is. Remember, love, she will not be like Edward was," a woman said knowingly.

Rosalie slowly opened her eyes and then sat up. She looked toward the two people in the room and said nothing. They would speak. They would tell her who they were as long as she gave them enough time.

"I am Dr. Carlisle Cullen and this is my wife, Esme Cullen. We are …"

"Not human," Rosalie whispered, her voice rough from a combination of burning and nonuse. "I know I am not human any longer."

It was true. She had known since the burning started that she was no longer human, but something different. Something superior. Something better.

"What are we?"

The question shocked Carlisle. He had never been asked such a question. Usually the only thing on a newborns mind was blood. Newborn vampires were often like newborn humans, with nothing on their mind but food.

"Vampires," Esme said gently, unsure how the teenager would react to the news. Edward had refused to believe it when he was told. Esme herself had thought she was dreaming. Carlisle had thought he was in hell.

Rosalie simply nodded slowly, trying to process what was happening to her. She believed them. She had no reason not too. It made sense.

"I have business to attend too," Rosalie said, standing up quickly, with more grace than she had ever done anything, she was sure. She could feel how much stronger she was now.

She looked at her arms — they were flawless. She looked down at her nearly flawless legs, barely covered by a nightgown. She could see the faint outline of a scar near the inside of her thigh. This caused her to growl low, under her breath.

She had been cleaned up by someone. She looked at the older duo and narrowed her eyes. Doctor or not, he better not have touched her. No man had better ever touch her again without her consent. She would tear them limb from limb if they dared do so.

Esme seemed to understand where this was going. She stepped toward Rosalie and looked at her softly.

"I cleaned you up after we brought you here. Neither Carlisle or our son, Edward, came into the room. I could not leave you as you were. Not when a transformation takes several days. It was not fair to you. Not after what happened to you," Esme told her gently. "I burned your clothing, and redressed you after you were clean. I could not let you wake up the way you were."

Rosalie nodded slowly, backing up so she could sit on the edge of the bed she'd been laying on. That was okay, she supposed. Esme was, at least, female. Rosalie felt light headed at the all of the information she was being dealt — smells, sights, sounds, even tastes. Everything was so clear and vivid. If she felt this way, and if the others saw things as she did, how had Esme managed to clean her up?

To be honest, Esme had had trouble cleaning up the girl herself — it brought back so many memories of her past life — the damage those men had done to the girl had been horrendous and the amount of blood had been unreal. But she knew she could not let her husband clean the child. Because, much like Edward, Rosalie was still a child, not yet 17 years old.

Esme had no doubt in her mind that once Rosalie Hale awoke, men would be on the bottom of her list as far as caretakers went. After what she had gone through, Esme didn't blame Rosalie. Not one bit.

"I need to make this right," Rosalie said this time, moving towards the door.

Carlisle stepped in front of the door so he could stop Rosalie from leaving.

"We can't let you leave right now, Rosalie. You are a newborn vampire. Your thirst will overpower all of your senses. You will kill people if we let you leave because you will want to drink their blood," Carlisle said.

Rosalie looked up at him, a perfectly arched eyebrow raising up as if to say, 'You have got to be kidding me.'

"I fully intend to kill people, Dr. Carlisle Cullen. I have no desire to drink their blood, however."

Carlisle didn't move. He had never seen a newborn act so peculiarly.

"I must ask you to move," Rosalie said.

"You cannot kill anyone, Rosalie. You will hate yourself if you do," Carlisle said, with a bit more force.

At this, Rosalie let out a laugh.

"Hate myself? No. I will not hate myself any more than I presently do. An eye for an eye, Carlisle," Rosalie said with a slight smile on her face, but her thoughts a million miles away.

"What do you mean?" Carlisle asked, although he was quite sure he already knew exactly what she meant.

"Have you no understanding of the Bible? Matthew 5:38-42 — 'Ye have heard that it hath been said, an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: But I say unto you, that ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy cheek, turn to him the other also.' I have a debt to pay. I intend to make things right," Rosalie said. "No worries if you have no understanding of the Bible. My mother may have done very little for me, but she made sure I had quite a bit of it memorized." Among other things her mother had made sure she would know so she would be a perfect, dutiful wife. Too bad her mother hadn't taught her how to get past being assaulted and killed.

"My father was a pastor," Carlisle said. "But you cannot kill anyone, Rosalie. We have to keep a low profile."

Rosalie laughed lightly.

"I am not asking for your permission. I am simply telling you what is going to happen tonight. I have to make this right. An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. I know what I must do, the question is whether or not you understand."

It wasn't whether or not Carlisle understood. He did, completely. But to the world, Rosalie Hale was dead.

"You cannot kill anyone, Rosalie. No one can see you, either. Your eyes are red. People will not take kindly to your sudden reappearance," Carlisle said softly. "Your face has been all over the newspapers for nearly a week."

And then he went to move his hand to her shoulder. A mistake on his part, he realized, when Rosalie hissed at him and swatted his hand away. No man would ever touch her again without her express permission. Ever.

Esme knew exactly what was wrong and stepped in between her husband and Rosalie. She gave her husband a soft look, one he knew well. He needed to back away from Rosalie. Because Esme was right. She was not like Edward. Edward had always trusted him. Rosalie had no reason to trust anyone, especially men.

"How do I get my eyes to be the color of yours?" Rosalie asked, standing up and looking closer at Esme's amber colored eyes. Her eyes had been violet in life.

"We do not feed on human blood; only on animals," Esme told her. "Because of this, our eyes stay this color. We are able to be around humans as long as we feed on animals."

Rosalie nodded. She understood completely.

"Okay. Then I will feed on animals only. After I tend to my business," Rosalie said. She looked down at her clothing once more and then at Esme again.

"I need something else to wear, please."

Esme had sent Edward to get the girl clothes while she had cleaned Rosalie up. It had taken a while to tend to the teenager. The mess those humans had left her in had been atrocious. The cuts down her thighs, the bite marks on her chest and arms. She had not wanted Edward to read her mind while she was taking care of Rosalie. She had sent him several towns away with the sizes he would need. She had barely finished taking are of Rosalie by the time he had returned.

He hadn't wanted to leave, but one look at his mother's face and he knew he had to do as she bid him. He had read enough of Rosalie's thoughts to know what had occurred, and he was having trouble turning those thoughts off. Those men had brutalized Rosalie in every way they could think of, for no reason. It had been senseless.

"I have some clothing for you, but Rosalie …" Esme said.

Rosalie looked at Esme and Esme stopped talking.

"I won't drink their blood, but I have to take care of this. They will hurt others. Men like them … they do not stop until someone makes them. I couldn't stop them before, but I can now. You can try to stop me, but I will always try to get to them. Or you can let me go and I will come back once I have finished my task and I will do as you bid," Rosalie said. Her eyes stayed locked on Esme's, a woman who had seen her at her most vulnerable. She had no reason to not trust this woman. There was something about her — she was trustworthy. The man, despite her fear of his very presence, seemed to be okay as well. She would keep her distant though. She would not make the mistake of trusting a man too quickly. Not now. Not ever again. Not like she had trusted Royce.

"Rosalie, those men — sweetheart, it isn't worth it," Esme said quietly.

"To you it may not be worth it, but to me it is the only thing I can think of. What they did to me …"

Rosalie stopped talking and glared at Carlisle. Nothing about him made her want to trust him. The woman though — she could trust her, she told herself.

"You can trust us all," a third voice said, coming from the doorway.

Rosalie growled at the intrusion, her defenses went up tenfold.

"Edward, we told you to stay out of here for now," Carlisle chastised.

"I know, Dad, I apologize, but you have to let her go. She's right when she says it's all she can think about. She won't be able to let this go unless she takes care of it herself," Edward said. "She's been thinking about it since you and Mom brought her here. Even during the transformation. It was nearly all she thought about."

Esme looked at her son and nodded. She did understand. Had she not been in a similar position many years ago?

"Rosalie, let us go with you," Esme said gently, moving to place a gentle hand on the blonde's arm.

Rosalie stared at Esme for several moments.

"I wish to do this myself."

"We will let you, we just want to go with you to ensure your safety," Carlisle said.

Rosalie nodded.

"Only Edward then," Rosalie said.

Edward looked at her in surprise. He had not realized, when reading her thoughts, that she would ask him and only him to go with her.

Esme and Carlisle looked equally as shocked. But, Rosalie had her reasons.

_"__They do not need to see me at my worst, Edward. Yes, I realize you can read my thoughts. I also see the specks of red in your irises that tells me you have sought the blood of humans. Am I to be a part of this family? Esme has seen me at my worst already. She doesn't need to see this. Just make sure you do not touch me," _Rosalie thought to Edward.

Edward nodded. She was to be family if she wanted. And he understood why she requested only he go with her now, even if she did not intend to taste the blood of the humans. She was so unlike him. She truly had no desire for human blood. He felt ashamed — he had spent years killing those he felt deserved it, but he had always drank their blood.

"Dad, Mom, I will take her. I will make sure she is okay," Edward said quietly.

Esme sighed and nodded.

"Carlisle, Edward, please leave so Rosalie can get dressed."

* * *

Rosalie saved Royce for last. Edward admired her ability to kill and not drink. Especially since she had not yet fed on an animal. She had a one track mind right now. Edward silently wondered if she would always be like this, or if vengeance was her driving force. And, if vengeance was her driving force, what would she do once she had completed her task?

He watched her kill four men already tonight. Had he not promised his parents he would no longer kill the deserving, he would have helped her. The thoughts in their heads had been beyond vile, and he was thankful Rosalie couldn't hear them. He wondered what the girl would be like once she had her vengeance.

Oh, there had been fear, once they realized Rosalie was not the docile little lamb they had murdered the week before. But, much to Edward's dismay, in a way, Rosalie made their deaths quick. They had deserved much, much worse than she had dealt them.

But Rosalie had saved the best for last, according to her thoughts.

Edward silently wondered, while sitting on a low tree limb and watching the train wreck in front of him, if now would be the time to go get his parents. While he knew they were letting Rosalie do this, they wouldn't be too far away. The danger was too real for a newborn vampire. They had mutually decided to change Rosalie, so, like Edward, she was their responsibility. He had a feeling they would be here, for the last kill. The others hadn't taken but a few quick moments.

Would they move now? It would be hard for Rosalie if they stayed here. At least he thought it would be. It would have been hard for him, if something so violent had been his undoing.

_"__This is fun, isn't it Royce? You like it, don't you? Are those not the words you said to me last week? 'You'll love it, Rosie, baby, it's for your own good …"_

Edward let out a low growl once the man began laughing.

"Son, you cannot take this from her."

Edward snapped down and stared at Carlisle, who was suddenly under him.

"She doesn't want you here," Edward said.

"She doesn't know what she wants, son, except for vengeance. You should know better than anyone that she will need at least your mother when she has completed her task," Carlisle said, leaning against the tree.

"I don't see Mom here," Edward said, and then tried to focus on his mother's thoughts. Unfortunately, both of his parents were well practiced in hiding their thoughts from him.

"She is waiting on Rosalie outside of the window she plans to climb out of," Carlisle told his son.

Edward nodded.

"Why is she so different? She killed the first four without so much as a thought about her thirst. Dad, she really doesn't desire to drink the blood of humans at all," Edward said, his thoughts confused.

"When your mother and I found her, she was in the worst shape I have ever seen someone. I couldn't let her youth be wasted and neither could your mother. We had to change her."

"Their thoughts, Dad — they were worse than Charles even, and you know what he did to Momma," Edward said, a tear stinging the inside of his eyelids as he thought back to his first planned kill.

"I will not speak about her condition when we found her any further, as it is not fair to her, but I imagine their thoughts were much worse than his."

It was at that moment the two heard the final beat of a dead man's heart.

"I can't read her thoughts," Edward said in frustration.

Carlisle reached a hand up and placed it on his son's leg so the boy would look at him.

"You don't need to read her thoughts, Edward. You need to leave her and let her share what she wants."

Edward nodded as he watched Rosalie walk gracefully out of the open window and into the open arms of Esme.

And Rosalie began to sob.

* * *

Vengeance was painful. In less than an hour, Rosalie Lillian Hale had killed what was once her future. The first four deaths had been fast. It was Royce she had taken her time with. He had been the first to lay his drunken hands on her that night, and he was the last she'd laid her hands on tonight.

She had let him beg. She had let him cry. None of it mattered to her.

"Please, Rosalie, let me live. I will give you whatever you want," Royce had cried.

Rosalie had merely laughed. He had taken everything away from her. Everything she had ever wanted. Everything she had ever dreamed of. He had taken it away from her along with her innocence, her life, and her trust.

He had turned her into a monster.

Once she had finally snapped his neck and then made it look like he had hung himself, Rosalie climbed out of the window.

It was no surprise to her that Esme was standing outside of the open window waiting on her. Once Esme saw her, the older woman opened her arms to her, and Rosalie fell into them, sobbing.

They were back at the house not long after, though Rosalie would never be sure how they had arrived. Had Esme carried her? It was possible. Rosalie had wrapped her arms so tightly around the woman's neck she could have easily carried the younger girl without any trouble.

They were back in the room Rosalie had woke in earlier, the venom filled sobs never stopping.

"I am ruined," Rosalie whispered through her tears.

"No," was all Esme said, her voice stern.

"How can I not be? You know what they did to me. You know what I did. You saw what they did to me. You saw how they left me."

Esme nodded.

"What they did and what you did does not define you," Esme said, running her fingers through the golden ringlets surrounding Rosalie's face.

"How can it not?"

"Sweet girl, your actions, your vengeance, it was something you had to do. It doesn't make you a monster. It doesn't make you a terrible person. You are Rosalie. I hope in time you will realize you are part of our family," Esme said, kissing the top of Rosalie's head.

"I had to kill them so I could be a part of your family."

What Rosalie said was true, as much as Esme hated it. Rosalie was already her daughter. She had been since the moment she and Carlisle turned her. Even more so after she had cleaned her battered, broken body.

"You are mine, Rosalie. You are Carlisle's. You are a sister to Edward," Esme said gently, knowing the girl needed to hear it from her.

The girl sobbed at Esme's statement, and clung tightly to her. Esme was a lifeline. Over time, Rosalie would grow to trust Edward and Carlisle more, but now, she was exactly where she needed to be.


End file.
